Technical Assistance

CTOD convenes and works closely with stakeholders to develop strategies and employ innovative solutions at the local, regional, and national levels to produce successful TOD. Unlike consulting firms, CTOD maintains long term relationships in the places where we work, building the capacity of local transportation, housing and land use planners, community-based groups, and advocates. Our objective is to ensure that local actors have the tools they need to implement and plan TOD in the long term.

CTOD is involved in ongoing collaborative efforts around the country, including, Denver, Los Angeles and Minneapolis/St. Paul. CTOD activities include:

  • “Making the Case” and Building Momentum
  • Spatial Analysis of Existing Assets, Opportunities, and Challenges
  • Regional, Transit System, and Transit Corridor TOD Strategic Plans
  • Development of Innovative Finance Tools for Implementation
  • Linking Transit and Economic Development

Examples of our work

Collaboration in the Twin Cities

Twin Cities
CTOD has been working in the Twin Cities region since 2004 to support policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders in implementing high-quality, equitable TOD. CTOD’s work has formed the basis for the creation of the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, assessed the needs for creating walkable neighborhoods near transit, supported equitable development implementation along transit corridors throughout the region, and advanced regional and state-level policy initiatives.

Portland Metro TOD Strategic Plan

Portland Scatterplot Map
CTOD worked with Oregon Metro to figure out what areas of the Portland region were ready for development. The TOD Strategic Plan evaluated existing conditions around Portland, classified station areas and corridors based on their readiness to support TOD, offered guidelines for phasing of TOD Program work and discussed future activities and funding strategies.

West Corridor (Denver Metro Region) TOD Implementation Strategy

West Corridor
This highly unusual collaboration includes two cities, Denver and Lakewood, two housing authorities, the transit agency and the Federal General Services Administration. The West Line, which will open in 2013, will take riders west from downtown Denver to through Lakewood, and on through Jefferson County to the City of Golden. However, because the line passes through many low income and weak market neighborhoods at its eastern end, the cities and their partners recognized the need for a focused TOD implementation strategy that goes beyond traditional station area planning. The CTOD team provided the analytic framework and organization structure that allowed this group to reach agreement on a series of long term steps aimed at making the transit oriented neighborhoods within their purview more accessible to transit, more equitable by providing for better affordable housing, and more complete by planning for much needed community facilities.